Search

Copyright

Become a Fan

What toymakers and law firms are afraid of

If you celebrate Christmas, and you have kids, you probably spent a lot of time this morning opening toy packages. Which means you probably spent a lot of time cursing under your breath about the ridiculous antishoplifting devices in nearly every toy pack. ("Why does Daddy keep making those noises?" "Oh, he's just thanking Santa under his breath. Let's go into the other room.") From the impossible-to-cut plastic to the twisted and taped insulated wires, toymakers (and the retailers that sell their toys) are so focused on defeating shoplifters that they suck all the fun out of opening kids' presents.

Oh, sure, shoplifting is a problem, especially at the holiday and in a poor economy. But give me a break. The toy industry is more focused on the one or two percent of people who would try to steal a toy from a store, rather than on the 98 or 99 percent of people who actually pay for their goods. It's this much-larger group whose Christmas morning the toymakers are messing with. Rather than focusing on the happiness of their real customers, the toy people are worrying about the small minority who might steal from them.

Law firms are just like the toy companies. Their clients are clamoring for fixed prices, because they're tired of not knowing how much their legal work is going to cost beforehand. But the lawyers resist, worrying about setting the price too low. What if the other side drives up the costs? What if the client takes advantage of my fixed price? What if? What if?

Instead of worrying about the small minority of cases that might cause you to leave money on the table, lawyers should focus the happiness of the clients who want to know what their costs will be. There's much more money to be made from happy clients than there is to be lost from underpricing. Lawyers — and toymakers — should stop being afraid.

• • •

If you enjoy The Client Revolution, then please take thirty seconds to vote for it in the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100 contest. Voting ends December 28. Just click on the badge below. And thanks!

Comments

What toymakers and law firms are afraid of

If you celebrate Christmas, and you have kids, you probably spent a lot of time this morning opening toy packages. Which means you probably spent a lot of time cursing under your breath about the ridiculous antishoplifting devices in nearly every toy pack. ("Why does Daddy keep making those noises?" "Oh, he's just thanking Santa under his breath. Let's go into the other room.") From the impossible-to-cut plastic to the twisted and taped insulated wires, toymakers (and the retailers that sell their toys) are so focused on defeating shoplifters that they suck all the fun out of opening kids' presents.

Oh, sure, shoplifting is a problem, especially at the holiday and in a poor economy. But give me a break. The toy industry is more focused on the one or two percent of people who would try to steal a toy from a store, rather than on the 98 or 99 percent of people who actually pay for their goods. It's this much-larger group whose Christmas morning the toymakers are messing with. Rather than focusing on the happiness of their real customers, the toy people are worrying about the small minority who might steal from them.

Law firms are just like the toy companies. Their clients are clamoring for fixed prices, because they're tired of not knowing how much their legal work is going to cost beforehand. But the lawyers resist, worrying about setting the price too low. What if the other side drives up the costs? What if the client takes advantage of my fixed price? What if? What if?

Instead of worrying about the small minority of cases that might cause you to leave money on the table, lawyers should focus the happiness of the clients who want to know what their costs will be. There's much more money to be made from happy clients than there is to be lost from underpricing. Lawyers — and toymakers — should stop being afraid.

• • •

If you enjoy The Client Revolution, then please take thirty seconds to vote for it in the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100 contest. Voting ends December 28. Just click on the badge below. And thanks!